Dermatome



Aug. 16, 1949. J, D, REESE 2,479,260

DERMATOME Original Filed July 7, 1947 2 s-Sheet l EZ I Aug. 16,, 1949. J. D. REESE 2,479,260

DERMATOME Original Filed July 7, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 111126113602"; John D- Reese WT E'M Patented Aug. 16, 1949 .1 arem entice V 7 7 m a I nERMATamr v Jblin U. Reese, Philadelphia llae (original application. J'ixly t; 19411,: Serial N63 T59ig32ih; Dividedland thiszapplicatiomlumh 2;. 1949;,Serial.-No.'l9;; 255

(o1. lass-30.5.).

2 Claims.

This application is a: division. of. applicantisr co,- pcnding application, Serial. No, 759,329. filedvJuly '1, 1,941,102 Dermatome. The: parent.- application relates tosthez worm. and. gear feature, for. tight: ening and retaining a. flexible. grait. transfer member, on a dermatoma whila the-presentmvisional. application,- is concerned with the cutting bladeradiusting mechanism. I The present. inventionz relates tin-surgery, more particularly tmskingraiting, and; has for: an ole-- ject to provide. anl-improvedrdermatome. for out-- ting slsingraftst. v V p This and other; ebiects are efiectedzby the invention-a as. wilhbe; apparent; from-the following description. and; takenzink accordance with the accompanying. drawings-, forming apart of, this application inwhichs Lisa front-elevational view, partially in. section, ot a. dermatoma constnuoted. in. accord-- ance with-theepresentinvention; I

Fi 2 isaplan View of; thesdermatome shown.-

Fig. 3.- is a.- fragmentary.- side: elevationah View showing details; at the wormand gear: drives, and: taken. along; the. line. ILL-Hikes. 2,, looking, in thesdirectionrindicatedby-theanrows;,

4-. is a. transverse sectionak view, taken: along. the line; TAP-IV? of- Eigg. 2,; lookingtinethe direction: indicatedlby the. arrows;

Eiga. is; a. fnagmentaryysida elevatienalz view shawing details. of the; bladeesupponting; SHUzQ- ture;

Fig this a fragmentary plan view showing details of the clamping mechanism; and,

dle by which the worm mechanism may be operated.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, particularly to Figs. 1 and 4 thereof, the reference character IIJ indicates, in its entirety, a dermatome having a body member H comprised by a pair of spaced parallel side plates l2 and I3 of generally semi-circular shape, joined along their curved edges by a concavo-convex bottom plate I4. Preferably, the side plates l2 and I3 are provided with inwardly-directed flanges l5 against which the bottom plate l4 rests. These flanges l5 not only provide extensive areas of engagement with the bottom plate, but also serve to stiffen the side plates and pre- .vent deformation thereof.

Each side plate includes an upwardly-extending ear l6 having an opening l1 therethrough whose center coincides with the center of revolution of the concave working surface ll! of the team plate l4; A pair at biish'mgs. 1a are mountedlin thefo-peningsg l1 witlnflanges. 21'. abut.- ting, theouter: surfaces of. the. side plates. A..tu,- bnlarhandle: 22:. bridges. the space:' between, the

. side plates. and; is; supported on; the; inwardly,-

proieeting. bushings. ML.

-A shaft 23: ,i-siournaledr in: the bushings.- l-.9.- fan both rotary and reciprocatory 'movements relatives to:- the body: memben H ancb haafixedlyt secured theretoaal yoke indicated in: itssentiI-Zety by the reference character 25.. The. yoke fisincludesi 85 pair. of. parallel posts orarms. 2'6, secured-one at. each end; of the shaft. fishy taperedq doweh 2J (Eigsa. 2: and. 4.): providedwith:threaded- B0! tions. 28: threaded into bosses;'29.- onl the. posts 25% having; knurled finger" pieces 30 ionrotatiom on the.- pins... The other ends. of; the; posts am? icinedby an integ-rahcloss ban as having a flat outer surface; 3.4,.between which and-an opposegh flat, surface 35.- on; a; blade clamping has 3.6., m graft:-tn ltting blade; orknife=- 31: is; adapted? to clamped (Figs. 45 and 5) As clearly; shown in: Fig, 4;v the cutting; edge of: the-blade; H. is: post: tionedlin: close 1 proximity-- to. the convex working;- faca m of. the-dermatemebody member M ancb its: spacing. with; respect thereto. be: by changing ashim. 38; between the: blade; and the surface 34. on the.- yoke cross: bar: 33s, to: one:- ofgreaterorlessen thickness.

Theb'laderclampingbar has a. pair otstuds-ME extending? perpendicularlm from. its. faces and extending througlra pair of matingopenings-H; inithe. outer ends, 42.. of: the. posts 26, whichv miter ends, are: ofisetv with? respect to.--v the remainden- 02 the postsewith. theresult; that the; freeends;

the: studs 4.1L project beyond. the postouten ends 42 and. threadedly receive knurled. fingenfi flfi 43, by which the blade-clamping bar '36 may be drawn into clamping relation to the blade 31.

Preferab-ly,'each post 26 is provided with a projecting lip restraining the finger pieces 43 against axial movement and insuring that rotation of the finger pieces will produce movement of the blade-clamping bar 36 towards or away from the yoke cross bar 33. This action is particularly desirable inasmuch as the posts are usu. ally in the position illustrated in Fig. 5 when the blade is being assembled or removed, and without the lips 45 the blade-clamping bar would not stay spaced from the cross bar to permit of ready assembly of the blade and shim. The shim may be provided with a tab 46 on which its thickness in thousandths of an inch is indicated, so that the thickness of the graft that will be out can. be noted at any time.

One of the posts 26 is provided with a handle 41, by which the entire yoke 25, its shaft 23 and the blade may be simultaneously reciprocated and rotated to move the blade with a cutting motion relative to the working face of the body member, and at a. predetermined distance therefrom.

The mechanism for retaining a graft transfer member taut against the convex working face l8 includes a clamp 50 mounted for limited pivotal movement on the pin into and out of clamping engagement with the end A of a graft trans fer member T (Figs. 2, 4 and 6). The graft transfer member-engaging edge of the clamp 50 is toothed or serrated, as at 52, 'to bite into the transfer member and insure that the latter does not pul1 out from between the clamp and the inner surface of the body member.

To retain the clamp in clamping position there is provided a rearWardly-extending arm 54, on top of which is a second arm 55, pivoted to the rear end of the first arm 54, as at 56. When the arm 55 is moved against the adjacent side wall l3, as shown in full lines in Fig. 6, it lies beneath a pin 51 which projects from the side wall [3, whereby the clamp 50 is prevented from pivoting about its pin 5| from clamping position. To release the clamp, the upper arm is moved away from the side wall [3 to the position indicated in Fig. 6 by the dot-dash lines, which movement is limited by a downwardly-extending lug 58 thereon (Fig. 4). To assist in moving the upper arm, the latter has an upwardly-extending finger piece or tab 59, which may be easily engaged by the fingers of the operator. The clamp 50 has a rearwardly-extending handle 60 by which it may be easily moved to and from clamping position.

The opposite end B of the graft transfer member T is received in the slot 63 of a spool 64 journaled in bearings 65 carried by the body member side walls l2 and I3. One of the spool journals projects outwardly beyond the adjacent side wall I3, as at 66, and has secured thereon a gear 61 meshing with a worm 68 secured on the shaft 69. This shaft 69 is mounted in a gear housing H, attached to the side wall l3 by screws 12 and enclosing the Worm 68 and gear 61. One end of the worm shaft 69 projects through a top wall of the housing and is slotted, as at 13, for reception of pin 14- extending diametrically of a socket 15 provided in the head 16 of a crank-type Wrench 71, having a handle 18. V

' When the worm shaft 69 is rotated in a clockwise direction by means of the crank 11, the spool 64 will be turned counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig, 4, thereby tightening the graft transfer member.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications Without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dermatome of the type wherein a cutting member is supported for graft cutting move ment with its cutting edge in parallel spaced relation to a graft-supporting surface; means for supporting the cutting member and including an arm having a notch in a side thereof and an opening through one wall of said notch, a clamping piece for said cutting member and including a pin disposed in said opening with a terminal portion extending into said notch, a finger piece in said notch and operatively associated with said terminal portion of the pin for imparting movement to the latter, a threaded connection between said pin and one of said pieces and a fixed connection between said pin and the other of said pieces, the opposed Walls of said notch substantially limiting movement of the finger piece in directions parallel to the axis of said pin, whereby'rotation of said finger piece relative to the axis of the pin produces movement of the clamping piece toward or away from said finger piece.

2. In a dermatome of thetype wherein a, cutting member is supported for graft-cutting movement with its cutting edge in parallel spaced relation to a graft-supporting surface; means for supporting the cutting member and including an arm, a head on said arm having an opening therethrough from one side to the opposite side thereof, a stud in said opening with its terminal portions projecting beyond said sides of the head, a cutting-member-clamping piece associated with one of the stud terminal portions, a finger piece associated with the other of the stud terminal portions, one of said pieces being threadedly connected to its stud terminal portion and the other of said pieces being fixedlysecured to its stud terminal portion, and means preventing substantial movement of said finger piece away from said head, whereby rotation of said finger piece in one directionproduces movement of the clamping piece away from the head to provide space between the head and clamping piece for reception of the cutting member, and rotation of the finger piece in the opposite direction draws the clamping piece towards the head to clamp the cutting member therebetween.

JOHN D. REESE.

No references cited. 

